Healthy Snacks: Pumpkin Seeds

I love this website. The recipes are so unique and there is such a variety. Keep up the great work..And,for those who haven't tried these recipes, please do. they are awesome.....

I eat pumpkin seeds like I do sunflower seeds. I can't think that eating the shells of pumpkin seeds would be good for your digestion to say nothing of your gut.

How do I get the seeds out of their shells?

Can you eat the shell?

Yes, eat the shells. I have since I was little and they've never done any harm.

Yes, eat the shells. I have since I was little and they've never done any harm.

Once roasted, pumpkin seed shells aren't that hard to chew. (No where near as hard as sunflower seed shells.) So, eat the shells--they're tasty, a little chewy and deliver even more fiber than the seeds alone!

I actually prefer to NOT rinse the pumpkin seeds before doctoring them up with my own seasoning. I think that leaving a little of the pumpkin on the seeds adds to the very tasty flavor. And of course to get that, you're best off also eating the shells. =) Once you try homemade roasted pumpkin seeds fresh from the oven, you'll never be able to go back to getting them at the grocery store in a bag.

DO NOT lay them on paper towels to dry unless you have all day to pick them off. They stick like glue.

I'm w/swiserjes - my dad taught us the art of P-seeds - tastier w/more varieties than sunflower seeds - plenty of fiber - delicate taste - great for trying different combos. I separate the seeds from the guts, but don't make a big effort to remove the 'strings' - no strainer, no drying...just toss the onto a jelly roll sheet or any pan w/sides. Our 'family recipe' is seeds 2-3 deep, add 3 T melted BUTTER, 1/3 C Soy Sauce, 1/4 C Worcestershire Sauce, heat to bake at 250 for a 2+ hours (til they are dry) using a spoon/spatula to scrape and stir every 15"[Note: they will end up having a caramel / dark brown color - because of the S & W sauces]. There are three 'stages' to the roast - #1 the warmup; #2 the steam (where the seeds' moisture content is boiling off) and #3 the actual roast - you must be most vigilant to get them as crispy as you like (the drier, the crispier / not as chewy) - without burning them. Alternatives: Romano / Parmesan cheese, Chili Pepper, Garlic (fresh or powder

We always went simple, and soaked them in a brine (salt water solution), then drained and patted dry before roasting in the oven.

LOL...I'm just reading this now and I had to laugh because I did lay my pumpkin seeds out on paper towel to dry ! I will NEVER do that again, I was picking and picking and picking paper towel off my seeds for a very long time. This year I tried something different and used sugar and cinnamon to season my seeds and it turned out pretty yummy.

I lay my seeds on a dish towel to dry. They stick a little, but it's easy to get them off with your fingers.

@bcvmaf99ds "get a life and stop advertising here!" (Geez - some ppl). I find it quite hilarious that AR would recommend laying the seeds on a paper towels. OMG! Don't do it (as Angelia stated). It's fine to eat the these seeds whole and is harmless - unless you have a diverticulitis (sp?) issue. Anyway...I think pumpkin seeds are great as long as you don't burn them. I always make a few different batches with different flavor profiles & plain ol' salt/butter ones. Good stuff!